The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was created in 1975. It’s formation was driven not only by Watergate, but by a major scoop from Seymour Hersh. On December 22, 1974, Hersh’s article, Huge CIA Operation Reported in US against Antiwar Forces, Other Dissidents During Nixon Years, appeared in the New York Times. It revealed that the CIA, under the direction of James Angleton, had been opening U.S. mail and carrying out other illegal domestic activities. Congress decided it had been too lax in its oversight responsibilities. The House and Senate created the Select Intelligence Committees to fix the problem.
The newly minted committees were chaired by Otis Pike in the House and Frank Church in the Senate. They each conducted thorough investigations of the intelligence agencies and issued reports. In response to their findings, Congress enacted legislation to rein in our intelligence services and make sure they could no longer behave as ‘rogue elephants’. One of their most important reforms was the Foreign Intelligence Surveillence Act (FISA). The Bush administration has admitted to violating the FISA act, and they have signalled their intention to continue violating the FISA act.
The Senate Select committee (members below) would like to hold hearings on the illegal National Security Agency (NSA) domestic surveillance program that the Bush administration implemented back in 2001. All of the Democrats and three Republicans (Olympia Snowe, Mike DeWine, and Chuck Hagel) are in favor of hearings. However, the chairman, Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, recently adjourned the committee for two weeks rather than allow a vote.
Then Bill Frist sent a letter to the minority leader Harry Reid, threatening to change the unique structure of the Intelligence Committee if the Democrats did not back off their push for NSA hearings.
I am increasingly concerned that the Senate Intelligence Committee is unable to its critically important oversight and threat assessment responsibilities due to stifling partisanship that is exhibited by repeated calls by Democrats on the Committee to conduct politically-motivated investigations….
I would propose that we meet with Senators Roberts and Rockefeller as soon as possible. The Committee was established and structured to reflect the Senate’s desire for bipartisanship, and to the maximum extent possible, nonpartisan oversight of our nation’s intelligence activities. If attempts to use the committee’s charter for political purposes exist, we may have to simply acknowledge that nonpartisan oversight, while a worthy aspiration, is simply not possible. If we are unable to reach agreement, I believe we must consider other options to improve the Committee’s oversight capabilities, to include restructuring the Committee so that it is organized and operated like most Senate Committees.
Obviously, the Bush administration knows it cannot survive NSA hearings. But, Hagel, Snowe, and DeWine don’t seem to care. The vote is scheduled for tomorrow.
So, what can we do to push this along?
Million Phone March is organizing a massive effort to pressure the committee members. And here are their websites:
John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia
Vice ChairmanMike Dewine, Ohio
Dianne Feinstein, California
Christopher S. Bond, Missouri
Ron Wyden, Oregon
Trent Lott, Mississippi
Evan Bayh, Indiana
Olympia J. Snowe, Maine
Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland
Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
Russell D. Feingold, Wisconsin
Saxby Chambliss, Georgia
Let them know that you expect Congress to protect you from illegal surveillance.
Thanks Booman
It’s good to see Action items front paged. Not saying you normally don’t. Just saying thanks and will do.
Great diary but don’t all of those in the list already know what’s at stake? That would be preaching to the choir instead of the sinners.
What ae the chances of pressuring the media to pressure the politicians?
Hatch
Chambliss
Bond
Roberts
Lott
They all know what’s at stake. They’re just defending a different stake than we are. They’re defending Bush against treason and war crimes. I don’t think we’ll change their minds but we need to try.
I sent an e-mail to Lott a few days ago subtly reminding him that this is another chance to embarrass Frist. If he has a weakness, that is probably it. Maybe with enough reminders he might vote for hearings, though I imagine he is more concerned with positioning himself as the next Senate Republican leader and doesn’t want to undermine Bush on this.
And Roberts seems vulnerable to criticism that he is a stooge who isn’t capable of independent thought, though I doubt he has reached the tipping point either.
Bill Frist after days meowing, has been brought to purring… Kabuki Congress is worth a read.
The neo-conning continues as Cheney wins every time. The vice can do no wrong.
I’m telling you, we have to win this fight or we might as well join Nathan Hale. Follow the links.
If it’s between the voters and big business, who do you think is going to win? Will any politician allow an investigation that hurts this deal?
Analysis: AT&T’s Proposed BellSouth Acquisition Revives ‘Ma Bell’
If approved, the $67 billion stock deal will bring back a significant portion of the national footprint of the pre-divestiture AT&T, at least in the southern portion of the United States.
We lost this one a long a time ago.
According to Glenn Greenwald who with Firedoglake has been doing yeoman’s work, tomorrow’s vote has a slim chance, if Sen. Snowe keeps her promise to vote for Rockefeller’s motion it would pass 8-7.
Over this weekend, I mentioned in other comments, with links, Cheney has managed everytime to exert enough pressure on Sen. Roberts to shutdown, not just delay any intel investigations, be it pre -war intel or whatever. Last November, Senator Reid did shutdown the Senate over the continuing Roberts delay. Still waiting. Now, some have been brought to heel on the NSA spying probe.
I know, my VT senators will step up to the plate. In fact, today is Townhall day-that old, very old principle of democracy at work.. We’re looking to the vote in Newfane on the ‘impeach Bush’ resolution, then it goes to Bernie Sanders to table in Congress.
Setting an example for others. It’s time to muck out the barn. We’ve been neo-conned for far too long.
btw, Rawstory provides this link to WSJ Wall Street Journal’s Impeachment Proves Risky Political Issue probing the isssue of grassroots impeach bush push with Democratic Leaders distancing themselves.
GOP also fears the NSA probe would lead there. Not many in Congress, -on either side of the aisle – has the spine for it.,
Yeah, that was my point, too. There hasn’t been a sense of urgency from any of the lawmakers. This will turn out like every other violation of our rights, trust and confidence. They’ll take care of each other at our expense, as usual.
here is the link below with excerpts from Kabuki Congress